In Ivy Pochoda's retelling of 'The Bacchae,' she transforms the ancient story into a modern narrative set in the world of Electronic Dance Music. Here, Dionysus is portrayed as a DJ and the characters Pentheus and Agave are reimagined as Drew, the hotel magnate's heir, and Lena, his mother. The narrative maintains themes of decadence and violence, reflecting the timeless appeal of the original tragedy, despite its new context. Pochoda's connection to classic literature is personal, stemming from her early education in the classics and her formative experiences translating ancient texts.
In "Ecstasy," Ivy Pochoda's new feminist retelling, Dionysus is an international DJ with a cult following in the Electronic Dance Music, or EDM, and rave scene.
Pentheus and Agave become Drew and his mother, Lena - heir and widow to a deceased hotel magnate opening a new luxury resort on a Greek island.
It's a bloody story in the old and new, rife with decadence and depravity - one with timeless appeal judging from the multitude of stagings and adaptations over the centuries.
I spent my senior year in high school translating 'The Bacchae.' We did it start to finish, and it was really a cool experience for a 17-year-old to get immersed in a text.
Collection
[
|
...
]